Confessions of a Manual Die Hard

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion) 06/14/2016 at 09:09 • Filed to: brown wagon, volvo, manual snob, xc70, v90, wagons

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photo credit: autoevolution.com via google image search - This is how I imagine myself driving most of the time

A bit of context: I am the primary dropoff/pickup person for both of my kids, who are 1 and 3 currently. On Thursday between the two pickups (of course they go to different schools across town from each other), my car was struggling to make it up hills. It would idle fine, and rev in neutral, but in gear it was having a really hard time. I suspected fuel pump or fuel filter, but again, with both kids I don’t exactly have a lot of leeway for limping my car around. So I called up my parents who live close by and dropped off my car (a manual 2003 BMW 325xi wagon) at a trusted local shop. My parents loaned me their 2006 Volvo XC70, so it was pretty seamless.

The first thing is, I was right, it was the fuel pump. Which is really frustrating because they didn’t have time to look at it until yesterday, and they will fix it today. But the fuel pump is like, a 10 minute job. If I had had 5 minutes to spend diagnosing it properly, probably could have fixed the car on Friday myself. Instead, I’ve been driving a brown 2-ton Swedish tank for 5 days.

pictured: the actual XC70 in question, with my father’s hand-built canoe on the roof. Fact: he cares waaaaaay more about the canoe than the car. Possibly more than his own children.

Which brings me to my next point. I like the Volvo. A lot. Sure, I’ve driven it before and found it to be very... agreeable. But living with the car for 5 days and doing kid duty... it’s perfect. It’s like, 30% bigger than my 3-wagon but it doesn’t really feel like it. Both kids can climb in and out by themselves, like in my car. They can’t both do that in my wife’s X3. It’s not super tall or wide, but damn that trunk area is huge. I’m sure it’s bigger than my wife’s X3 cargo area; no contest versus my 3-er. The interior is nice, the doors make a great sound when you shut them, the controls are easy to reach, logical, and driver-centered. Visibility is good, acceleration is adequate, braking is adequate, handling is... mediocre.

The real problem for me is the transmission. Except I haven’t found it to be a problem! And I am a DIE HARD manual person, like, I’m !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! who is judging others for their inability to drive manual, or even their choice to just get an auto because that’s what was on the dealer lot. But hmm, you know? Driving one every day? Yeah I miss my third pedal, and my left foot twitches like a nervous raccoon every time I come to a stop... but it’s not that bad. I could totally live with this. Even getting on the highway, where I find that it upshifts too early, I started just popping it over to the “manual mode” just to hold it in 4th a bit longer. Then when I’m up to speed I just move it back. While my wife is dying for one of the new XC90s, I think we could save about 90% of the cost and get 80% of the car with a nice, used XC70.

Although I will always prefer a manual, my car choices my be a bit cornered for the next few years with kids, dogs, and all the associated cargo. It’s nice having the extra space, and I think I could learn to love the brown Swedish tank, despite its insistence on shifting my gears for me. The fact that it’s not remotely “sporting” even relaxes me behind the wheel a little, which isn’t a bad thing with two small kiddos chatting in the back. It also helps that there are a billion of these around, so finding a nice used one isn’t hard. I’ll probably still keep the 325 for as long as possible, but if something happened to it tomorrow, I think I know what I’d be looking at.

photo credit: automobilesreview.com via google image search

If I can wait long enough, maybe I can get a V90.

image credit: bmwblog.com via google image search (yeah, wait. why bmwblog?)

Aaron M - MasoFiST > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 09:16

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The newer Volvos are really nice...looking at an S60 almost convinced me to give up the manual.

Almost.

Niko's Work Account > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 09:17

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I always find that driving an auto after a manual for a long time is a mixture of relaxing and nerves, nerves from wondering what to do with your left foot and relaxing cuz sit back and go

Sam > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 09:17

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In reference to the ever silly #ManualOnly4Lyfe thing.

But really, just get an auto for daily duties. Then find a cheap, fun, manual car to go have fun with on the weekends and stuff. I don’t feel like a manual should be a chore that makes traffic and stuff less enjoyable. It should be something that is used for enjoyment.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Sam 06/14/2016 at 09:22

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I am still learning how to drive a manual (probably leads to my thought process) but I do find there are some times when I miss the convenience of an auto. Things like bumper to bumper traffic and hill starts. But then I actually manage to get up to speed and I am glad to not be in an auto anymore.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Niko's Work Account 06/14/2016 at 09:25

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The first time I got back into the auto Outback after driving my Mini I gave myself a nice scrape on my left leg with the brake pedal going for a clutch that wasn’t there.

Niko's Work Account > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 06/14/2016 at 09:30

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Hahahahah yeah thatll happen. Better than me catching break in my friends auto miata

jariten1781 > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 09:33

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Manuals will die sooner or later either due to economic or regulatory forces so I’ll just keep buying them until that point. Autos aren’t bad , but when I'm making that big a purchase I'm getting every desire I feasibly can.

gawdzillla > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 09:34

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I was in a similar boat, ended up getting myself a silverado truck

I’d love to have the XC90 but i dont want to smell transmission fluid

OPPOsaurus WRX > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 09:34

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The lack of manual was the deal breaker for me. I had even found a lightly modded XC70. I drive in stop and go traffic every day. Having the manual kinda gives me something to do while I crawl along. People say manuals in traffic are hell but 95% of the time I am fine with it. So maybe look at one of these.....

functionoverfashion > Sam 06/14/2016 at 09:34

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True... in fact my 1961 Ford truck is a manual, and I have no plans to ever sell that. But where I live, there is no traffic, so it’s more fun than chore... I guess all I’m saying is I’d consider it more seriously than before driving this car for my daily routine for 5 days.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Niko's Work Account 06/14/2016 at 09:35

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I find that it just feels wrong. Like I never knew that I could forget how to drive an automatic but it is a real thing at first. I tend to try to use the brake pedal as a clutch and get really confused when coming to a stop. It definitely goes away after a few minutes but right at the beginning it just feels so foreign to drive an automatic. Then it just depends on the car whether or not the transmission is a convenience or a major annoyance as it fights you constantly.

functionoverfashion > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 06/14/2016 at 09:36

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When I was 17 we had two identical chrysler minivans, except one was manual. I hit the left half of the brake pedal lots of times, forgetting which one I was in. I’d also find myself forgetting to clutch in on the manual one. In hindsight, it was a good mental exercise for a new driver.

functionoverfashion > Aaron M - MasoFiST 06/14/2016 at 09:38

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What I don’t get is there is now a V60, a V60 Cross-Country, and an XC60. WTF is the difference between an XC60 and a V60 XC? Besides the fact that one is just a lifted V60 with body cladding... but then isn’t that essentially what the XC60 is???

functionoverfashion > gawdzillla 06/14/2016 at 09:42

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If we go for an XC90 it won’t be for probably... 5-7 years? Let them work out some of the bugs and pick up a lightly used one that’s later in the model cycle.

functionoverfashion > OPPOsaurus WRX 06/14/2016 at 09:45

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Those are cool. And I agree on the traffic thing - in fact, I do not encounter traffic. Like, waiting more than one cycle at a light would be heavy, heavy traffic for me. I actually don’t have to go through any lights if I don’t choose to. There are none in my town even.

Now, the Volvo is no stranger to occasional expensive issues, but I hear things about the Allroad...

gawdzillla > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 09:49

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thats my plan too, by that time i probably have to upgrade my wife’s car

damn thing is so pretty i almost get a boner everytime i see it

functionoverfashion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 06/14/2016 at 09:51

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I agree, I will now go months without driving an automatic, and it’s strange when I do. I adjust pretty fast, but I think my left foot twitch at a stop would linger for a long, long time. I’ve been driving *almost* only manuals for 20+ years now. I knew how to move my parents cars in the driveway so I could play basketball when I was probably 13. I could start on a hill before I ever left the driveway, or got out of 1st gear.

The most annoying automatic was a suburban I had for a little while. It would struggle to maintain 70 on the highway in 4th - especially while towing - but the only solution was to push it hard enough that it would downshift into 3rd and rooooaaaaaaarrrrr its way back to 75 then uuuggghhh back into 4th for a second, losing speed until it went back to the top end of 3rd. If pushed hard enough to keep it from upshifting, I’d keep accelerating to redline and then it would shift abruptly anyway. Not necessarily the fault of being an automatic, but the gearing was just wrong for the torque it didn’t have and the auto made it impossible to leave it in a low enough gear to maintain speed.

functionoverfashion > gawdzillla 06/14/2016 at 09:56

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hahaha, every time my wife sees one I think she’s experiencing the equivalent... feelings. Which is often because they are multiplying like horny rabbits around here (the cars, that is). Every week I see another one with new temp plates on it.

OPPOsaurus WRX > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 10:02

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I think the only thing the Allroad would have for a headache over the Volvo is the suspension. Mine is getting wonky but it also just passed 177k miles and took a Sentra up the butt. It wasn;t as bad until I got rear ended and I was told I would never get it covered as there is no way to prove the accident had any contribution to it.

I took my car to a couple shops to get it checked out. I made some jokes about things and the mechanic said if you keep up with the engine its not unusual to get 250k out of them.

I think the issue is when something goes wrong, its complicated and expensive.

I also paid $3k for mine so its not the best example out there either.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 10:11

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Yeah I think "poorly designed" automatics are generally the issue rather than specifically "all automatics". Newer ones (THAT ARE NOT CVTS) can actually be pretty okay and honestly make you not miss the manual so much. I think paddle shifters a definite must at a minimum but they also need to actually shift the car instead of "suggest" that it shift. The car that made me realize this and not totally hate automatics is the 2014 Camaro RS. Putting the gear selector in "M" actually turned the paddle shifters into instant shifting devices. It would let you redline the car to your hearts content and shifts were quick and accurate. Sure I would still prefer a manual, but if every automatic was like that then I really would at least consider it depending on the car.

gawdzillla > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 10:17

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lets just hope that your wife and i doesnt get locked inside a volvo dealership accidentally......

functionoverfashion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 06/14/2016 at 10:17

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All true. Nearly every automatic I’ve ever driven with a manual-shift option had a nice long delay when you “suggested” a shift, which totally ruins the experience. A rental CLA I had recently wasn’t bad, but it had like 7 or 8 gears to shift between which made me not want to bother! It was so smooth in automatic mode that it wasn’t worth it to use the paddles. It even blip-downshifted at appropriate times, too! Part of the regenerative braking perhaps. It had some weird stuff going on.

functionoverfashion > gawdzillla 06/14/2016 at 10:19

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haha... wait.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 10:29

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I just brought pictures of both of them up in GIS and looked at them side by side.

Wow. This is worse than 3-series vs. 4-series Gran Coupe.

Under_Score > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 10:35

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Maybe get a new XC70? They’ve been out since 2008, but now, you can get one with the backup camera, blind spot monitoring, and all of those other crazy (but really awesome) safety features. I think the XC70 tops out at 50.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 10:52

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Yeah, Mercedes seems to be complicated with their transmissions. The SLK250 I rented had paddles. But the transmission had 3 different modes that vastly changed how it behaved. None of them really made me happy though. For some reason the Camaro just got it right.

Dusty Ventures > Niko's Work Account 06/14/2016 at 11:05

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“wondering what to do with your left foot”

Brake. Brake with your left foot

HammerheadFistpunch > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 11:10

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I’m looking at xc70/v70s right now to replace my wife’s car, we will then complete the transition from a full manual house to full auto. While it makes me sad I can live with it until its time to add a third car

Niko's Work Account > Dusty Ventures 06/14/2016 at 11:17

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trail brake everything

Dusty Ventures > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 11:31

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If you like the Allroad but want more fast and more reliable...

functionoverfashion > Dusty Ventures 06/14/2016 at 12:09

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I left foot brake often in my own car, for the right reasons

functionoverfashion > HammerheadFistpunch 06/14/2016 at 12:10

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Sad indeed, although I will always have my truck.

functionoverfashion > Dusty Ventures 06/14/2016 at 12:12

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Oh believe me a legacy GT would be on the list. It’s just much harder to find one compared to the Volvo. I guess the Volvo just showed me that life on the other side isn’t that bad

functionoverfashion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 06/14/2016 at 12:14

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One of the most predictable and satisfying autos I’ve driven was a roughly 2000 Hyundai Santa Fe. Go figure.

Amoore100 > Under_Score 06/14/2016 at 12:26

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I honestly can’t believe they’re still selling the XC70 since they ended production this year to roll out the V90. At this point it’s become Sweden’s Town Car, but it looks like its reign is coming to an end.

jasmits > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 13:43

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What if you find a V70r? It would take some looking but I see them pop up with low miles every so often. All the Swedness but with a manual.

RandomTask > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 14:35

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As a current 2007 XC70 owner, you’re pretty much spot on. The good thing is you already have a BMW, so you’re used to the stupid expensive costs of what should be the minor stuff. This car has those too, and they will creep up, but over all it isn’t bad. I’ve had this car for about 3 years now, and I’ve put over 50k miles on it. She just hit 100k last week, and still feels solid. I have the same duties as you (2.5 year old and 4 year old), and it’s my work vehicle (ALWAYS has my ladder and tools in the rear). I’m not exactly gentle with her, and I’ve yet to have anything I would even call a significant issue. I would recommend this car to anyone. Fair warning though, surprisingly enough, in Chicago winters, it handles like a RWD pickup. Fun for me, slightly less so for my wife.

Wagon, semi manual, not brown, turbo because volvo > functionoverfashion 06/14/2016 at 17:25

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I like my 05 but the lack of left pedal was a bit annoying. Plus when i put it in manual i want to move the shifter down for second gear up for third down for fourth up for fifth. I have driven manual most of my life but as far as automatic goes this one doesn’t suck like a mid 90s 4 speed honda slushbox.

functionoverfashion > jasmits 06/15/2016 at 13:20

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Yes, yes, and more yes. I’ve looked at these quite a bit. In fact, this is part of the reason I previously wrote off the XC70 as an option because I would just wish the whole time that it was a V70R instead. I may still wish that.

jasmits > functionoverfashion 06/15/2016 at 15:12

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If I had more than a college student budget a V70R would make more or less the perfect daily for me.

functionoverfashion > jasmits 06/15/2016 at 20:45

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Just tonight I told my wife that if a nice example comes up for sale locally I might jump on it. And she nodded her head in semi-approval so I’m running with that.